# What Overly-Qualified Sub-Genres are You Being Recommended by Netflix? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670 "2010-03-16T17:32:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/1 "2010-03-16T17:32:34Z")
I logged into Netflix today; the following categories were recommended for me on the “Watch Instantly” tab: [ul] [li]Critically-Acclaimed Gritty Movies Based on Real Life [/li][li]Emotional Dramas Featuring a Strong Female Lead [/li][li]Black Comedies Starring a Red-Headed Frenchman and Featuring a Chicken[/li][/ul] Obviously the last one is fake, but the others are real. So, what’s listed on your “Watch Instantly” tab? ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/2 "2010-03-16T17:45:23Z")
Huh - mine is far more mundane, the most specific is “Dark Dramas”. It sounds like they went all Pandora on you though, I’m kind of jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/3 "2010-03-16T19:15:35Z")
Damn, that **is** specific. The most specific that I’ve noticed happened after I watched [Big Night](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Night) and [Ratatouille](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratatouille_%28film%29); it produced (not surprisingly) “Movies About Food.” ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/4 "2010-03-16T19:36:44Z")
Right now, just Steamy Romantic Comedies. We’ve also gotten: Steamy Romantic Comedies with a Strong Female Lead Period Dramas Based on Classic Literature (which inexplicably included the film [Cacoon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoon_(film)) I think you have to use Watch Instantly a lot to get the really specific recommendations like this. We use watch instantly far more than we actually watch stuff on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/5 "2010-03-16T19:57:57Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > I think you have to use Watch Instantly a lot to get the really specific recommendations like this. We use watch instantly far more than we actually watch stuff on DVD. I’ve never used Watch Instantly. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/6 "2010-03-16T20:15:32Z")
I have two weird categories suggesting things: Cerebral Crime Thrillers The Spanish Prisoner The Crimson Rivers Green for Danger Sherlock Holmes: Terror by Night Critically-acclaimed Gritty Action & Adventure Mongol Dirty Harry The Searchers Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior And then just plain vanilla Dramas Blow The Boy in the Striped Pajamas The Boondock Saints Then She Found Me Most likely I’ll punt and pick my own. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/7 "2010-03-16T22:06:34Z")
I think the Netflix Recommend-o-Bot has washed its stainless steel pincers of me. Maybe I’m hypercritical. I don’t think so; I think I rate movies fairly. The vast majority get three stars if I liked it, two if it was mediocre. Something has to really impress me to get four stars, and only a few near-perfect classics of the genre earn a full five stars. One star is reserved for utter shit: abominations that have no reason for existing, that I found personally insulting, or that helped accelerate the decay of culture overall. (Or at least those that I’m pretty sure probably _would_, based on the trailer or movie poster.) So why does Netflix think I’ll hate almost every new movie that appears? Users will give it four-and-a-half stars, but we estimate **Vinyl Turnip** will think it’s barely worth a deuce. Worse, their estimated ratings have gotten uncannily accurate… they think I’m gonna give a movie two stars, damned if I don’t watch it and agree, almost every time. Or am I being subtly manipulated? Would I have possibly rated it higher? Are they predicting my tastes or controlling my thoughts? Why is it recommending a 5-disc nature documentary because I liked _The Wire_? ETA: oh, and they think I like “critically-acclaimed dark movies about marriage.” Not sure what that means. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/8 "2010-03-16T22:42:46Z")
OOh, I got a good one: “Visually-Striking, Mind-Bending, Sci-Fi & Fantasy” I love Netflix ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/9 "2010-03-16T22:57:33Z")
I love Netflix On Demand but it only lets me watch two movies: Eraserhead and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. To tell you the truth, those are all I really need but I will probably get tired of them in a few years and need to send a polite complaint letter to get a couple of others added. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/10 "2010-03-16T23:04:24Z")
My Watch Instantly section right now is giving the following categories: Visually-striking Dark Foreign Movies Suspenseful Dramas from the 1980s ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/11 "2010-03-17T18:34:56Z")
At one point, Netflix was recommending both “Steamy Romantic Comedies with a Strong Female Lead” and “French Romances with a Strong Female Lead”. Now it’s recommending Comedies, Critically acclaimed Feel-Good Dramas, and Witty TV Comedies, which is a lot less emasculating. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/12 "2010-03-17T19:07:23Z")
Right now I have: Critically Acclaimed Cerebral Movies Heartfelt Fight-the-System Documentaries I’ve seen others, though. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/13 "2010-03-17T20:14:01Z")
I only had one of two movies rated, so it just gave me “critically acclaimed.” I went back and rated most of the movies I’ve watched, and now I get “dark foreign action and adventure” [I liked Yojimbo and Fitzcarraldo, which are pretty damn different] and “critically-acclaimed cerebral dramas” [Barton Fink and The Third Man]. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/14 "2010-03-17T20:18:53Z")
**Critically-acclaimed Goofy Comedies** ---
**Author:** ![Morgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Morgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgis)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/15 "2010-03-18T18:25:28Z")
Suspenseful TV Shows Critically-acclaimed Violent Action & Adventure Comedies from the 1980s I also have Drama with several subcategories to choose from: Strong Female Leads Independent Dysfunctional Families Critically-acclaimed Political Gritty ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/16 "2010-03-18T20:26:28Z")
I have: Suspenseful Horror Movies from the 1980s Critically-acclaimed Suspenseful Movies from the 1970s and before I had something along the lines of “Suspenseful foreign movies with gay protagonists”. Evidently I loves me some suspense. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/17 "2010-03-18T20:26:41Z")
“Critically-acclaimed Cerebral Movies from the 1950s” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/18 "2010-03-18T20:31:13Z")
> [@TheMerchandise](#): > > “Critically-acclaimed Cerebral Movies from the 1950s” So, have you watched both of them now? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/19 "2010-03-18T20:58:11Z")
When I saw the thread preview for this thread, it didn’t know about the list function, so just had everything all smushed together. So the mouseover said that the OP was watching “Critically-Acclaimed Gritty Movies Based on Real Life Emotional Dramas Featuring a Strong Female Lead”. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670/20 "2010-03-18T21:34:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > When I saw the thread preview for this thread, it didn’t know about the list function, so just had everything all smushed together. So the mouseover said that the OP was watching “Critically-Acclaimed Gritty Movies Based on Real Life Emotional Dramas Featuring a Strong Female Lead”. _Monster_? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-overly-qualified-sub-genres-are-you-being-recommended-by-netflix/532670.md?page=2)